Feather

Feather variations

Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on bird species. Although feathers cover most of the bird's body, they arise only from certain well-defined tracts on the skin. They aid in flight, thermal insulation, and waterproofing. In addition, coloration helps in communication and protection.

Use

Feathers have a number of utilitarian, cultural, and religious uses. Feathers are both soft and excellent at trapping heat; thus, they are sometimes used in high-class bedding, especially pillows, blankets, and mattresses. They are also used as filling for winter clothing and outdoor bedding, such as quilted coats and sleeping bags. Goose and eider down have great loft, the ability to expand from a compressed, stored state to trap large amounts of compartmentalized, insulating air. Feathers of large birds (most often geese) have been and are used to make quill pens.

Dependencies

• Hunting
  • Feathers

See also

• Bone
• Leather
• Rawhide
• Silk
• Wool

References

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Feather, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (view authors).